CHAPTER V.
_In Which Lady Bellair Gives Some Account of Some of Her Friends_.
LADY BELLAIR really loved Henrietta Temple. She was her prime and herpermanent favourite, and she was always lamenting that Henrietta wouldnot come and stay with her in London, and marry a duke. Lady Bellairwas a great matchmaker. When, therefore, she was welcomed by the fairmistress of Ducie Bower, Lady Bellair was as genuine as she was profusein her kind phrases. 'My sweet, sweet young friend,' she said, asHenrietta bowed her head and offered her lips to the little old lady,'it is something to have such a friend as you. What old woman has such asweet friend as I have! Now let me look at you. It does my heart good tosee you. I feel younger. You are handsomer than ever, I declare you are.Why will you not come and stay with me, and let me find you a husband?There is the Duke of Derandale, he is in love with you already; for Ido nothing but talk of you. No, you should not marry him, he is not goodenough. He is not good enough. He is not refined. I love a duke, but Ilove a duke that is refined more. You shall marry Lord Fitzwarrene.
He is my favourite; he is worthy of you. You laugh; I love to seeyou laugh. You are so fresh and innocent! There is your worthy fathertalking to my friend Mrs. Twoshoes; a very good creature, my love, avery worthy soul, but no _ton_; I hate French words, but what other canI use? And she will wear gold chains, which I detest. You never weargold chains, I am sure. The Duke of------would not have me, so I cameto you,' continued her ladyship, returning the salutation of Mr. Temple.'Don't ask me if I am tired; I am never tired. There is nothing I hateso much as being asked whether I am well; I am always well. There, Ihave brought you a charming friend; give her your arm; and you shallgive me yours,' said the old lady, smiling, to Henrietta. 'We make agood contrast; I like a good contrast, but not an ugly one. I cannotbear anything that is ugly; unless it is a very ugly man indeed, who isa genius and very fashionable. I liked Wilkes, and I liked Curran; butthey were famous, the best company in the world. When I was as youngas you, Lady Lavington and I always hunted in couples, because she wastall, and I was called the Queen of the Fairies. Pretty women, my sweetchild, should never be alone. Not that I was very pretty, but I wasalways with pretty women, and at last the men began to think that I waspretty too.'
'A superbly pretty place,' simpered the magnificent Mrs. MontgomeryFloyd to Mr. Temple, 'and of all the sweetly pretty persons I ever met,I assure you I think Miss Temple the most charming. Such a favourite toowith Lady Bellair! You know she calls Miss Temple her real favourite,'added the lady, with a playful smile.
The ladies were ushered to their apartments by Henrietta, for the hourof dinner was at hand, and Mrs. Montgomery Floyd indicated some anxietynot to be hurried in her toilet. Indeed, when she reappeared, it mighthave been matter of marvel how she could have effected such a completetransformation in so short a period. Except a train, she was splendidenough for a birthday at St. James's, and wore so many brilliantsthat she glittered like a chandelier. However, as Lady Bellair loved acontrast, this was perhaps not unfortunate; for certainly her ladyship,in her simple costume which had only been altered by the substitutionof a cap that should have been immortalised by Mieris or Gerard Douw,afforded one not a little startling to her sumptuous fellow-traveller.
'Your dinner is very good,' said Lady Bellair to Mr. Temple. 'I eatvery little and very plainly, but I hate a bad dinner; it dissatisfieseverybody else, and they are all dull. The best dinners now are a newman's; I forget his name; the man who is so very rich. You never heardof him, and she (pointing with her fork to Mrs. Montgomery) knowsnobody. What is his name? Gregory, what is the name of the gentlemanI dine with so often? the gentleman I send to when I have no otherengagement, and he always gives me a dinner, but who never dines withme. He is only rich, and I hate people who are only rich; but I must askhim next year. I ask him to my evening parties, mind; I don't careabout them; but I will not have stupid people, who are only rich, at mydinners. Gregory, what is his name?'
'Mr. Million de Stockville, my lady.'
'Yes, that is the man, good Gregory. You have no deer, have you?'enquired her ladyship of Mr. Temple. 'I thought not. I wish you haddeer. You should send a haunch in my name to Mr. Million de Stockville,and that would be as good as a dinner to him. If your neighbour, theduke, had received me, I should have sent it from thence. I will tellyou what I will do; I will write a note from this place to the duke, andget him to do it for me. He will do anything for me. He loves me, theduke, and I love him; but his wife hates me.'
'And you have had a gay season in town this year, Lady Bellair?'enquired Miss Temple. 'My dear, I always have a gay season.' 'Whathappiness!' softly exclaimed Mrs. Montgomery Floyd. 'I think nothing ismore delightful than gaiety.'
'And how is our friend Mr. Bonmot this year?' said Mr. Temple.
'My dear, Bonmot is growing very old. He tells the same stories overagain, and therefore I never see him. I cannot bear wits that have runto seed: I cannot ask Bonmot to my dinners, and I told him the reasonwhy; but I said I was at home every morning from two till six, and thathe might come then, for he does not go out to evening parties, and he ishuffy, and so we have quarrelled.'
'Poor Mr. Bonmot,' said Miss Temple.
'My dear, there is the most wonderful man in the world, I forget hisname, but everybody is mad to have him. He is quite the fashion. I havehim to my parties instead of Bonmot, and it is much better. Everybodyhas Bonmot; but my man is new, and I love something new. Lady FrederickBerrington brought him to me. Do you know Lady Frederick Berrington?Oh! I forgot, poor dear, you are buried alive in the country; I mustintroduce you to Lady Frederick. She is charming, she will taste you,she will be your friend; and you cannot have a better friend, my dear,for she is very pretty, very witty, and has got blood in her veins. Iwon't introduce you to Lady Frederick,' continued Lady Bellair to. Mrs.Montgomery Floyd; 'she is not in your way. I shall introduce you to LadySplash and Dashaway; she is to be your friend.'
Mrs. Montgomery Floyd seemed consoled by the splendid future of beingthe friend of Lady Splash and Dashaway, and easily to endure, with sucha compensation, the somewhat annoying remarks of her noble patroness.
'But as for Bonmot,' continued Lady Bellair, 'I will have nothing todo with him. General Faneville, he is a dear good man, and gives medinners. I love dinners: I never dine at home, except when I havecompany. General Faneville not only gives me dinners, but lets mealways choose my own party. And he said to me the other day, "Now, LadyBellair, fix your day, and name your party." I said directly, "General,anybody but Bonmot." You know Bonmot is his particular friend.'
'But surely that is cruel,' said Henrietta Temple, smiling.
'I am cruel,' said Lady Bellair, 'when I hate a person I am very cruel,and I hate Bonmot. Mr. Fox wrote me a copy of verses once, and calledme "cruel fair;" but I was not cruel to him, for I dearly loved CharlesFox; and I love you, and I love your father. The first party your fatherever was at, was at my house. There, what do you think of that? AndI love my grandchildren; I call them all my grand-children. I thinkgreat-grandchildren sounds silly; I am so happy that they have marriedso well. My dear Selina is a countess; you shall be a countess, too,'added Lady Bellair, laughing. 'I must see you a countess before I die.Mrs. Grenville is not a countess, and is rather poor; but they will berich some day; and Grenville is a good name: it sounds well. That is agreat thing. I hate a name that does not sound well.'